November 6, 2007 by angela.

Sorry…I completely forgot about this blog! I figured after the rush of summer weddings, reunions, and portraits that business would even out a little, but I’m still as busy as ever. I’ve had numerous OpLove sessions lately, and still have more to come. I am soooooo glad that word is finally getting out and spreading in Oklahoma. Tomorrow, I’m travelling to Ft. Sill for two homecoming sessions. I absolutely love the homecoming sessions and all the emotions that are present. I’ll try to get my website pics for OpLove updated soon. I’ve had several sessions since I last updated it, so I’d like to add some more pics. Anyway, I gotta get ready. I have a full day ahead of me. I’ll try to post again soon. :[)

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August 30, 2007 by angela.

I have started a new website for my freelance and cowboy photography. It is called Angela Beene Photography, and you can see it here: www.angelabeene.com. It even has a store to purchase prints. Take a look and let me know what you think!

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August 21, 2007 by angela.

I have entered one of my photos into a contest that NYIP is having. The contest is only open to voting until September 9th at 11:59pm. The top 100 photos in each category (based on votes) will progress to the next round. Since I just found out about this…I need your help getting caught up on the voting. If you are interested in voting for my photo, click this link to view and vote. Thank you in advance!!! http://contests.fotki.com:80/nyip/facesinthecrowd/212675641.html

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July 24, 2007 by angela.

Well, I’m going out of town for about a week. My husband and I have a friend who manages a ranch in Kansas, and they are having a big cattle round-up thing. My husband will be helping with that part, and I will be snapping photos like crazy!!! I’ll post a few of them when I get back. I hope everyone has a great week and weekend. See ya!

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July 21, 2007 by angela.

I just received a thank you card in the mail. I usually get an email or phone call from my clients, but this one just really stuck to me. Apparently, I just really needed to hear that today. Anyway, I thought I’d share it with you. It reads:

“Thank you so much for doing such a great job with the wedding photos. We never even noticed you taking the photos during the ceremony, The disk was fantastic and we have heard from our guests that they all loved the photos too. Thanks again for such a professional job and for making our day so special. - Andrea & Sonny”

To Andrea & Sonny - Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your special day. It was a beautiful wedding, and I enjoyed meeting your friends and family. And thanks for the card…I really needed it. Best Wishes and May God Bless Your Marriage!

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July 4, 2007 by angela.

I just received a copy of the magazine with the article about OpLove. Wow…the writer did a great job making me not  sound like a rambling idiot! I was so excited during the interview, I just rattled the entire time about this wonderful organization. Anyway, here is a link to the article in a PDF format: http://www.abcphotography.net/oplovearticle.pdf or you can read it in the July issue of Professional Photographer.

Posted in Business Stuff, OpLove, General | 1 Comment »

April 11, 2007 by angela.

I have been working as much as possible in my free time (haha) to help OpLove gain a 501(c)(3) status. I truly believe in this organization and it’s wonderful purpose to help support our men and women in uniform. Well…we’ve made some progess. As of last Friday, we are officially a non-profit organziation formed under the Colorado Secretary of State!   ~Woo Hoo!!!~  Now comes the hard part, the 501(c)(3) paperwork. :(  It is gruesome, to say the least, but definitely worth it. Well…back to work. Just wanted to give everyone an update.

Posted in Business Stuff, OpLove | 1 Comment »

March 21, 2007 by angela.

I was recently asked by someone “What makes a photographer…a professional?” I had to give that a lot of thought to try to phrase it without sounding mean. I think most true professionals would agree with me. I thought I’d post my reply to her: 

“I believe some photography education is good because it can teach you the technical points of photography. But I think the biggest part of being a “pro” is having the photographer’s eye. When I drive down the street, 9 times out of 10, I see something through the camera’s perspective. Does that make sense? It could be a child playing, a leaf floating in the wind, or even trash on the side of the road. I actually see it as if it were a photo I had taken with the camera. My brain automatically zooms in, or converts it to b&w, or whatever.

As far as running it as a business, you do need marketing, management, accounting, and other knowledge. But you have to consider the competition in your area. If you’re in a city where there are lots of photographers, what makes you stand out? Is it just because you’re cheaper, do you have the formal education, do you have an awesome perspective, or do you just have a fancy camera and computer editing skills?

It is amazing to me how many “pros” there are out there, but they can’t actually take a proper photograph. They can take a photo and edit it to look more professional, but can’t actually take it that way! That’s where the education falls in. If you are taking photos in “automatic” mode even half the time, you’ve got a LOT to learn. It’s one thing to see something to take a pic of, but it’s another to actually take the pic and make it look like what you see.”

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March 16, 2007 by angela.

Apparently, a new popular thing in photography services is a “portrait party”. These are like Tupperware parties. A host finds a photographer to come to the event to provide mini-portrait sessions for each guest. These sessions are usually 15-20 minutes long and can include individuals, groups, or any combo of people. The host typically provides hour d’erves and music, games, etc. The parties can be used for women’s clubs, couples, mommy/daddy and me, infants, seniors, or anything else you can think of. What a novel idea…

So, we are now offering “Portrait Parties” as part of our services. There is no sitting fee, and no sales done at the party. Each guest can view the proofs online and submit thier orders to the host. In turn, the host will receive a FREE 8×10 and points from their guests orders to apply towards their own order. If you are interested in hosting a portrait party, just visit my website (link on the left panel) for more info.

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